USC Professor Bans Students From Using The Phrase ‘Illegal Immigrant’ On Exam

A professor at the University of Southern California has barred her students from using the phrase “illegal immigrant” in their final exam for the class.

Alicia Chavez teaches the American studies course, “America, the Frontier and the New West,” a course that focuses on “the intersecting historical processes and diverse peoples which have shaped the region of the North American West.”

According to an email screenshot supplied by a student in the class, despite the class dealing substantially with illegal immigration into the United States, Chavez banned use of the term “illegal immigrant” on her students’ upcoming final exam. Instead, students have been ordered to use the term “undocumented immigrant” or “unauthorized entry” as a euphemism for such immigrants.

Comments

Let me see, as far as I can remember USC is a state and federally funded institution, which means that the first amendment applies. So I would tell Mrs. Chavez that I will use the correct term and if she docks my grade or my use of the term has any negative effect on me or my grade I will call for an academic review, sue the school, the president of the school, the Dean, and her personally by name so her personal finances are attached, and I will do so publically in both the media and internet. So have a nice day.

Isn’t the original official term, “Illegal alien”? Could you be punished for using the correct legal term? If yes, could your lecturer require you to call them “Fine upstanding people that currently don’t have documents that show US Citizenship”?